Get Your Purple On!

Posted in Ketogenic Diet by ten40s

Today is “Purple Day” in recognition of Epilepsy Awareness Day.

I was 50 years old before I ever saw a seizure.

Autumn’s Dad, and the rest of Autumn’s siblings, had not seen one either.

Then, we all saw up to one-hundred seizures a day with Autumn.

We were suddenly very aware of Epilepsy!

If you are reading this page, you also are probably very aware of seizures.

You have also probably been afraid, angry, distraught, frustrated, tormented, exasperated and just completely torn up at times.

But, hopefully you also found guidance, instruction, comfort, consolation, encouragement, and compassion from those who have walked this road already.

Whatever help and hope you have found, pass it along to someone else today. Make others aware of how they can help.

Keep walking, keep sharing, keep hoping!

Imagine the Hope and Joy of being Set Free from seizures! 🙂

KETO JOY!

On the Precipice…

Posted in Ketogenic Diet by ten40s

…of a New Year.

Are you prepared?

Each of us will undoubtably have a “precipice moment” this year.

Standing at the brink of something you did not expect.

An event, an action, a word… will all of a sudden place you there…on the edge.

My children have oft heard me utter:

“You never know what you are going to wake up to.”

“Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.” (James 4:13)

How do you prepare for those moments?

Every hour. Of every day.

“A man reaps what he sows.” (Gal. 6:7)

What you do, and what you think, day after day, will determine your response at the precipice moment.

“So as a man thinketh in his heart, so he is.” (Pro. 23:7)

“Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it.”

What are you thinking on these days?

“Finally brethren, whatever things are pure, lovely, true, praise worthy…think on these things.” (Philippians 4:4)

What are you reading?

What are you listening too?

What are you looking at?

What are you engaging in?

Is it growing you in… Love? Joy? Peace? Patience? Kindness, Goodness….

“The fruit of the spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control.” (Gal. 5: 22-23)

What are you trusting in?

“I have trusted in your loving kindness.” (Psalm 13:5)

Is it true?

“Thy word is truth.” (John 17:17)

Can it really sustain you?

“Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. “(Psalm 54:4)

Will it get you to the other side?

“I sought the Lord and he delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 43:4)

“For with God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37)

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

May your year be blessed with trials that leave you perfect, complete and lacking nothing!

Holiday Treats Review

Posted in Ketogenic Diet by ten40s

I thought it might be helpful to do a “review post” of last year’s Christmas/New Year’s yummy treats and snacks. Just click on the caption to get to previous post.

Christmas Chocolates

Easy Skinny Chocolate: This was a Valentines post but you could easily do Christmas molds.

Candy Bars! We made some amazing Chocolate/Caramel Turtles this week. They were really easy. On a wax paper-lined cookie sheet, arrange each “turtle” with about 3 pecans then drizzle about 1 teaspoon of the caramel sauce and 1 teaspoon of the skinny chocolate. Put in the freezer for a few minutes to harden and you have deliciousness! If you have a lower ratio you could melt an unsweetened chocolate bar (and sweeten with stevia).

Kale Chips

My Favorite Crackers!

No matter the season…Pizza is always a great treat!

and Milkshakes!

No reason not to enjoy the treats of the season!

Still enjoying…..Keto Joy!

“Pancakes and French Fries”

Posted in Ketogenic Diet by ten40s

That is the name of the handshake reporter Steve Warden taught Autumn when he visited our home last year to write this story on the Ketogenic Diet for The Journal Gazette.

Steve, pictured here with Autumn toasting victory over seizures with sugar laden Jamocha shakes, recently ran a great follow-up story in The Journal Gazette which you can read here.* Steve has a soft heart, a sensitive soul and is a skilled storyteller.

(Edit 4/3/23 The aritcles are no longer linking to The Journal Gazette – not sure why they are no longer available. However, this was an article Steve wrote on his retirement.)

Before walking out the door of our home last year, Steve said to let us know when Autumn was off the diet so we could (hopefully) get together for “Pancakes and French Fries.” So, along with those Jamocha shakes, we had “Cowboy Fries”… french fries smothered with cheese and bacon…all hands full…yummmm!

We’ll have to have him back again for the pancakes. 😉

And for anyone reading this on the keto-diet – you can actually make your own keto version of french fries and jamocha shakes – now that’s…

… Keto Joy!

*A small correction in the article, although I like the name “Chad”, it was actually “Joshua” who did the prayer.

Giving Thanks…Continually

Posted in Ketogenic Diet by ten40s

The girls and I were in Colorado Springs last week for a Thanksgiving visit with Kyle, Hope and my Max Man. Although I had wanted to do a Thanksgiving post, I was a bit distracted…

Getting ready to decorate…

A visit to Vail

Check out those shoes – everyone else in Vail Village did!

A view from the beautifully exquisite Broadmoor Hotel:

That is a 100% real candy gingerbread house behind us!

There is one picture missing that I wish I did have, and that would be of myself getting off the plane when we landed in Colorado Springs. I had been extremely nervous about the airplane flight…I barely slept the night before. I was worried that perhaps the higher altitude and the air pressure of the plane might cause Autumn to have a seizure.

All throughout the flight I felt like I was back two and a half years ago…. waiting…and holding my breath… to see if she was going to have “another one.”

She didn’t.

I breathe again.

Oh, the relief I felt as I hugged her getting off the plane…I may not have a picture…but I will never forget the feeling.

And I give thanks…continually! 🙂

Photo by Samuel Hoffman

Keto Joy!

Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus

(1 Thes. 5:18)

Awareness of the Heart

Posted in Ketogenic Diet by ten40s

November is Epilepsy Awareness month. It should be, The “Heart” of Epilepsy Awareness Month. Earlier this month, I read this on a FB post from Natalie, a mom I have mentioned here before.

Natalie writes:

“November is Epilepsy awareness month. EPILEPSY. a word that is used in my vocabulary since Gianna was 6 months old. A word that I wish never existed. To experience the type of Epilepsy we see every day is unimaginable. No one should see their child go through 1000+ drop seizures a day. Happy that Gianna started CBD a few months ago. Seeing a significant improvement in her cognition and a slight decrease in seizures. We are very hopeful.”

Did you catch that?

Natalie said, “We are very hopeful.”

1000 seizures a day…and she is “very hopeful.” There is an immense story of a soul in those words.

How does her mother’s heart keep going?

“Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.” Proverbs 14:10

Every “cause” has a heart attached to it…a soul that is aching…

…and a story that is being lived out.

One that knows the depth of sorrow and the joy of tribulation.

All of us carry our own ‘ribbon” for some cause.

Today, tomorrow, this month…when you see a ribbon…

maybe you can take a moment…

to see a heart…feel for the soul…and pray for the story…

even if it is your own.

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12

The Results Are In.

Posted in Ketogenic Diet by ten40s

Autumn’s last EEG back in February of this year, while she was still on the diet, did not include all the elements that are used to trigger seizures – yesterday’s EEG did. This included flashing strobe lights, inducing breathing hyperventilation and sleep deprivation. Our neurologist said she wanted to know – and that we would want to know – for sure what these results would really show after 3 months off the diet.

My palms were sweating sitting next to Autumn watching the entire process.

Towards the end of the test, Dr. Kahn, our neurologist, peeked in to see how things were going and I stepped out to talk with her. We went into a room right next door to Autumn and she pulled up the the EEG results on the computer. She brought up screen after screen of Autumn’s brain waves. As she is scrolling through the pages, I am imagining in my mind what all those lines might mean. Then she utters these words:

“This looks great.” “Everything looks wonderful.” “Everything looks perfect.”

Tears well up in my eyes and I just look at her; an incredibly relieved smile overcomes my face.

My doubt disappears.

Whenever you hear that the diet is too hard…

remember this post…

remember this result….

and know that the results of the the ketogenic diet are pure

KETO JOY!!!!!!!!!

What’s up…and coming…

Posted in Ketogenic Diet by ten40s

Wow, I can’t believe it’s been 2 months since our last post!

So what has been happening?

Canning tomatoes from the garden:

4-H Chicken Projects and Fair:

A visit from one of the cutest nephews ever:

Gram’s 80th Birthday Celebration:

Autumn’s 10th Birthday!

So, is Autumn completely off the diet? Yes

Does she eat all the food she use to eat? Yes

Is she still seizure-free? Yes

Honestly, I still just don’t understand how diet alone can stop such intense seizures.

But it does.

So why doesn’t every doctor who deals with Epilepsy know about the diet, and at least give it as an option for patients to try?

I don’t know, perhaps either lack of knowledge or unbelief.

As you read this, if there is anyone you know who suffers with epilepsy, or is a medical professional that works with epileptic patients, please take the time to spread the word on this powerful tool. The very best resource for information I know is:

The Charlie Foundation

You might be the catalyst that gives someone else a seizure-free life!

So, What’s next?

Autumn has an eeg scheduled for later this week to see if her brain activity looks the same as it did while she was on the diet.

It will be a big day.

Yes, I am a bit anxious.

Yes, I will be posting the results. Stay tuned!

Keto Joy!

So, we did it.

Posted in Ketogenic Diet by ten40s

Talk about a milestone.

Our family went out for lunch today for the first time in over two years (well, a family of 10 never went out to lunch much any way 😉 ….to a restaurant…an all-you-can-eat restaurant….that also included ice cream.

It was Autumn’s pick:

How does a former full-time keto kid(are we really in the former category?!) – a kid that had to measure every gram – sometimes to the tenth of a gram – of food she put in her mouth for every meal, go to a smorgasbord?

From a mother’s viewpoint? With a mixture of excitement…and anxiousness.

We have slowly been weaning off the diet since February of this year. Over the last month we have not weighed or measured a thing. Autumn has primarily been eating “whole foods” with very limited sugar and gluten-free.

Even today, she stayed pretty true to her “whole foods” diet (can’t say that for the rest of the family 😉

but she did have a dish of ice cream…. with a few sprinkles.

I am sure that I feel like every parent who has ever taken their child off the ketogenic diet –

nervous, but relieved; excited but cautious.

We are now transitioning to another way of eating – again one that is geared more towards whole foods.

We have been working on many more recipes that are also grain-free and sugar-free that I am hoping to get time to post in the near future. We have learned so much and continue to learn more each day.

You can’t have a day like today without being filled with gratitude and thanks to so many.

“I give thanks to God of every rememberance of all of you!”

To any of you who are reading this and just starting the diet…please be encouraged…little by little…gram by gram…keep pressing on!

Oh the joy of …

KETO JOY!

Autumn’s New Favorite Salad

Posted in Ketogenic Diet by ten40s

And she asks for it almost every day!

Click here for the recipe for the Asian salad I posted the other day. This is so good!

A few comments on the recipe:

Follow the word directions – the gram amounts she listed did not make sense when I tried to measure it.

For the dressing: I did not use that much garlic – way too much for us! When I have been in a hurry, I just use garlic and ginger powder.

I subbed stevia for the Swerve.

I subbed Coconut Aminos for the soy sauce.

I had never bought a Napa cabbage before – it is much sweeter than regular cabbage. I took off the larger outer leaves and then cut it finely:

You can either put your veggies in the food processor or cut them by hand. I was in a hurry and just cut up what I had on hand. Remember we are now in a “low carb” mode, and not strict keto, so peas and carrots can be used.

These are the items I used for the dressing – again when I am in hurry I just use garlic and ginger powder:

I missed putting the stevia in the last picture:

But there is no missing the joy that Autumn Joy has when eating this salad!

Keto Joy!